The Truth Comes Out A Little At A Time
by CapeCodPhoenix
Summary: In Rosewood, No secret is safe. Just what else have the girls been hiding? Sparia. *on hiatus*
1. Chapter 1

**So I've been meaning to focus on writing my novel, but I've just been having so many ideas for fics that my little hiatus just wasn't working for me. So instead, I bring you a new story! I won't be updating this or probably any of my fics every day so that I can still keep up on the novel I am trying to write, but I will update as often as I can.**

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**Aria's POV**

Everything had happened so quickly, and yet at the same time, it seemed like it had been building for a while.

When your boyfriend of over a year tells you it's over, tells you he's leaving you for his ex-girlfriend, you're supposed to be crushed, right? You're supposed to feel broken and empty and sad, and maybe even a little angry, right?

Sure, I loved him, I loved him with everything I had. In fact, I still do love him, and even though he's left me for a life with his high school sweetheart and the son he never knew he had, I know that I will always love Ezra Fitz.

What I don't know is when I stopped being _in love_ with him.

I stared out the window, watching the rain fall, wondering when Ezra stopped being the center of my universe, not that he had ever really had the opportunity to truly be the center of my universe, what with A commanding my attention all the time, but aside from the looming threat of A and everything that followed, he had been.

**Spencer's POV**

I watched as A fell into the trap we had set, going to meet Emily (once again) to attempt to get something A thought we had.

But why was A getting out of the driver's seat of the truck I had bought for Toby?

My first thought was that A had done something to Toby, so I quickly pulled out my cell phone and dialed his number.

I heard the ringing in my ear, and, moments later, I heard Toby's ringtone.

I looked up in time to hear A groan and answer a cell phone.

"Spence?" I heard Toby answer his phone.

Unfortunately, it was also the same voice traveling through the empty Rosewood streets, the voice coming from A.

I dropped my phone. There was no way. He couldn't be. He was supposed to be the one she could trust.

I could feel the tears threatening to spill over.

I picked up the phone when I heard his voice carry my name through the streets a second time, knowing that it was him standing not thirty feet away from me.

"Toby?" I said softly, making sure my voice didn't carry as his had.

"Spencer are you okay?" he asked, sounding concerned.

I scoffed quietly at his question. How could he do this to me? To my friends? I had given him everything, and he…

I couldn't bare to finish the thought.

"How can you even ask me that?" I asked him.

"What do you mean?" he asked, obviously confused.

"Toby," I said again, almost whispering it this time.

"Yeah, Spence?" he said.

"I CAN SEE YOU!" I yelled into the phone, but never taking my eyes off of the hooded figure I was now sure was Toby.

I saw him turn in my direction, phone still held to his ear.

"I can't believe you!" I yelled at him, having moved my cell phone away from my head.

"I thought you loved me!" I yelled, the tears streaming down my face.

I was angry, I was heart-broken, and I knew that there was no way I could ever be with him after this. There was no excuse that he could give her that would make any of this even remotely okay, and there was nothing he could do that could repair the trust that he had just broken.

"You better pray I never see you again," I yelled, "For your own sake, you better get the fuck out of Rosewood and never come back."

With that, I ran. I wasn't going anywhere in particular, just away. Away from him. Before I did something stupid.

**Aria's POV**

I wandered downstairs, wanting a glass of water, but not really caring how long it took me to get it. I had just reached the bottom when I faintly heard someone knocking on the door. In fact, it had been so quiet that I thought I was imagining it. I mean, it was one in the morning, who would be coming around this late at night?

I decided I should answer the door, just in case it wasn't my imagination running wild.

When I opened the door, I saw Spencer. She was sobbing, which was a rare sight, as we all knew she tended to keep her emotions bottled inside. It was a Hastings thing.

"Spencer! What happened!?" I asked as I pulled her inside and enveloped her in a hug.

**Spencer's POV**

I don't know how I ended up at Aria's house, but somehow I found myself knocking on her door.

I doubted she'd answer, she was probably sleeping. It was probably for the best anyways. I hated to be seen like this.

I was a mess. I couldn't stop crying, though I wasn't sure I wanted to. I knew it was a sign of weakness, my parents and even Melissa had taught me that from an early age, but this time, I think I deserve the opportunity to cry. To let it all out. To mourn the loss of what I thought was the best thing in my life. This time, I would let myself cry, though I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to stop if I had wanted to.

To my surprise, Aria opened the door mere seconds after I had knocked. I saw her face fall upon seeing me. I didn't mean to put this on her, but I needed someone.

She quickly dragged me inside and wrapped her tiny arms around me, making me feel warm, and even somewhat safe.

"Spencer! What happened!?" she asked, concerned.

I couldn't answer her. Not yet anyway. I just rested my head on her shoulder, and cried. And she let me. Her arms held me close to her, and I knew that even if I never uttered a single word about why I was here, what had happened, and why I was crying, she'd still be there for me.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Emily's POV**

I looked at the time on my cell phone for what seemed like the millionth time. The tiny digital clock in the corner read 2:09.

I sighed. I guess A wasn't going to make an appearance this time, after all, there's only so many times one can fall for the 'I have something you want' trick. Perhaps we've used it too many times.

I hadn't heard anything from Spencer, so I assumed she hadn't seen anything from her hiding place, wherever that was.

**Aria's POV**

It felt like we'd been standing by my front door for a while.

"Spence?" I asked tentatively, pulling back slightly to look at her.

Her eyes met mine and she nodded, signaling me to continue.

"Let's go upstairs," I said.

Spencer nodded again, and I let my hands slide up her back, and down her arms, finally taking her hands in mine and guiding her upstairs to my room, never breaking contact with her.

We sat down on my bed, and I wrapped my arms around her once more, again making sure not to break the contact I knew she needed right now.

I looked at her, she seemed so broken right now, far worse than I'd ever seen her before. I wondered what had happened, but I knew better than to ask. Spencer would tell me when she was ready. All I knew was that whoever was responsible for making Spencer feel whatever she was feeling right now, assuming it was someone that had done this and not some random event, I wanted to hurt them, to make them feel more pain than Spencer was feeling.

Spencer's phone went off and I felt her tense up, and not the usual, I hope to God it's not A texting me tense that we all seem to get. It was worse.

**Spencer's POV**

I didn't look at the message I had just received, I didn't even look at who it was from. I didn't think I could handle it if it was from A or Toby, who I now knew were one and the same.

I could feel Aria's eyes on me, and I knew she must be wondering why I was here, why I was crying, why I was currently stiff as a board. I felt her arms tighten around me.

"Toby and I broke up," I said, my lip beginning to quiver. I tried to hold back my tears, but they fought me and eventually they won.

Aria pulled me closer to her and rocked me back and forth.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered to me.

I knew I should tell her the reason we were broken up. She deserved to know, but I couldn't bring myself to utter the words. It was hard enough just knowing, and though I knew it was wrong to keep it from her, I just couldn't tell her. And she wouldn't press, she wouldn't nosily inquire why like Hanna would have, she just held me, comforting me, whispering to me in a soothing voice.

**Aria's POV**

I didn't know what to say after I told her I was sorry, but I kept spitting out words anyway. At this point I wasn't even sure what I was saying, but then I wasn't sure that Spencer was really focusing on what I was saying either. She seemed so far away, and that only made me pull her closer to me.

**Emily's POV**

I didn't hear anything from Spencer, even after I texted her. I wondered if the reason A hadn't shown up is because A had found Spencer instead. I pushed the thought aside, hoping it wasn't true, trying to convince myself that the idea was ridiculous. Spencer had probably just fallen asleep watching from wherever she had parked her car.

I found myself at the corner of my street, not quite sure how I had made it home so fast, nor why I had walked there and back in the first place. Taking the car would have been much easier.

When I got to my house, I saw Paige waiting for me on the front porch. Her eyes lit up as she saw me get home and I smiled at her as she ran towards me.

"Where have you been?" Paige asked worriedly.

I took her into my arms, and her arms wrapped around me instantly, her hold on me getting tighter with every passing second.

"I'm sorry I worried you," I told her, "I just went for a walk, it ended up being longer than I first intended, but I had my cell phone, you could have called me."

Paige looked dumbfounded. I knew she loved me more than anything, and I thought it was adorable the way she sometimes overlooked the simplest of things.

"Oh, yeah, right," she said, "probably should have done that before camping on your front steps, huh?"

I laughed, and kissed her cheek.

"Let's go inside."

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	3. Chapter 3

**Aria's POV**

It was a good thing it was the weekend because I hadn't slept at all. Seeing Spencer break down last night had been a lot to take in. It worried me, but only because it was something that I don't think I'd even seen her do before. At least, not like that. She never let herself be that vulnerable, and I had felt the need, as her best friend, to protect her, though from what, I wasn't sure. She had said that she and Toby had broken up, but even though I know she loved him, something didn't quite add up. The Spencer I knew wouldn't deal with a break up or a broken heart like this. Not that she'd really had that much experience with broken hearts. I couldn't help but wonder if there was more to the break-up than she'd let on.

I also had to wonder why they broke up. They had been all over each other when I'd seen them together the other day. I guessed that Toby had broken up with her, though why I have no idea. I thought he'd been just as in love with her as she'd been with him.

Then again, Ezra and I had been in love at one point. I suppose sometimes things just change.

I looked down at Spencer, who was sleeping with her head in my lap, as she'd been all night. I'd taken it upon myself to look after her last night. I mean, what else was I supposed to do why my best friend shows up in the middle of the night, sobbing? But then, I'd wanted to take care of her. As cheeky as she could be sometimes, she always managed to take care of all of us, to the best of her abilities. Though sometimes her view was skewed, her heart had always been in the right place. Like when we'd thought that Paige was A and we'd tried to keep Emily away from her girlfriend, we'd all thought we were protecting her. I guess that's why both Emily and Paige had forgiven us so easily after the whole Nate thing. It was my turn to take care of the girl who had shouldered all of our burdens and helped us carry them.

I noticed Spencer tense. I ran my fingers through her hair, rubbing her scalp gently trying to dispel whatever was causing the sleeping girl to stress.

**Spencer's POV**

_I felt his fingers trail lightly over my skin, exploring every part of my exposed flesh._

"_You're beautiful," he whispered into my ear, making me shiver, before nibbling on my earlobe._

_I chuckled. _

"_You're not so bad yourself," I said lightly._

_It was the understatement of the year. Toby was more than beautiful, if there were such a word. His hard abs drove me wild. His blue eyes drew me in, and god, that smile. I loved his smile. I loved everything about him._

_I smiled into his neck as I felt him undoing the buttons on my shirt._

"_I love you," I breathed as he undid the last button._

_He stopped, looking straight into my eyes. He smiled, only it wasn't the same smile that I had grown to love. It was different, but I couldn't place it._

_His hands slid lightly up my stomach, moving towards the clasp on my bra, but it didn't feel the same as it had a minute ago. Everything felt wrong now._

"_Toby," I said, my voice hard and pronounced._

"_What?" he breathed as he leaned down again, placing light kisses on my neck._

_Something was wrong. The boy on top of me, though he might have looked like it, wasn't Toby. The touches, the movements, they all felt different. Foreign. Sinister._

_Suddenly the image of Toby dressed in a black hoodie flooded my brain. I gasped as I realized, or rather, remembered that Toby was A._

I shot straight up in bed. It wasn't even my bed. I looked around and saw a very alarmed Aria who was now trying to figure out what had just happened and calm me down.

I hadn't even noticed I was hyperventilating, but once I realized that I was, it was easy for me to calm down and bring my breathing back to normal.

"Spence, it's okay," Aria said calmly, soothingly, "It was just a dream."

Sure. It had been a dream. Only at the same time, it had been real. Toby really was A, or at least part of the A team.

I felt the tears come surging back, as they had last night. Once again, I let them fall. After all, it was a lot to take in.

"Spence, what's wrong?" Aria asked, the concern in her voice thick. I could tell she was really worried about me.

I shook my head. I wasn't ready to acknowledge this, though I knew I should, I knew that eventually I would have to.

Aria must have been more concerned now than she had been last night, because this time she pushed it. Not much, but enough.

"Is it Toby?" she asked.

I nodded, a whole new round of sobs and pathetic gasps engulfing me.

Aria wrapped her arms around me protectively, lovingly, rocking me gently back and forth, just letting me cry it out.

I knew I had to tell her. She had to know the truth. And then she could tell the others, and I wouldn't ever have to say it again. Plus, it was better I told her now, then risk having another breakdown about this later, possibly in front of more people.

I pulled back slightly, looking at Aria. My lip was quivering as I fought back tears in order to be composed enough to speak.

"It-it's Toby," I said, sounding a little more like a whale than I had intended. Not that I had much control right now.

"H-he's A" I gasped before bursting into tears again.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Aria's POV**

I couldn't let myself be shocked by the news, though I was. In fact it was more heart-wrenching than my break-up with Ezra. But what mattered now wasn't Ezra or me or Toby or even A. What mattered right now was Spencer, and I had to be strong for her, she needed me now.

I pulled her closer to me, enveloping her tightly in my small arms. I masked my fury with the blue eyed boy that had caused this. Now more than ever, I wanted nothing more than to destroy A.

I rubbed small circles gently on Spencer's back, letting her get it all out. I knew she needed this, just to cry on someone's shoulder. Sure, his betrayal was not just a betrayal to Spencer, but a betrayal to us all. It was, though, probably the worst thing he could have done to her. To play with her as he did, pretending to love her, pretending to be an upstanding citizen, the misunderstood boy everyone seemed to steer clear of, when, as it turns out, he was to be avoided at all costs. To have given herself so completely to him only to find out he's been making all our lives a living hell.

God, I could _kill_ that boy for causing Spencer so much pain. Well, probably not, but I wouldn't shed a tear for him if somebody else did. As difficult as Spencer may be at times, she's got a heart of gold, and to break it was, in my opinion, akin to slaughtering puppies or mass murder: something that should never be done, but some people are psychotic enough to do them anyway.

**Emily's POV**

I was starting to get really worried. It was nearly noon and I still hadn't heard anything from Spencer. It wasn't like her. She normally gets up at the crack of dawn, like I do. Even if she hadn't seen the text last night, she would have checked her phone by now. She's always been prompt with responding to texts.

I could feel Paige's eyes on me as I paced my room. It wasn't something I normally did, I suppose it was just a habit I must have picked up from Spencer.

"Em, are you okay?" Paige asked worriedly.

No. I'm not. I'm worried about Spencer. I'm worried something might have happened to her. But I couldn't tell Paige that. Not without explaining what I'd really been up to last night. Even though Paige knew about A now, what with everything that happened with Nate, and the unfortunate events on the train on Halloween, I wanted to keep Paige as far away from A as possible. We all tried to keep everyone else out as much as possible. It was for their own good. Their safety.

"Yeah," I said, "I just, I'm worried about Spencer. I texted her last night, and I haven't heard back from her. It's just not like her."

That was all I could bring myself to say, but it was still the truth.

**Spencer's POV**

Aria was a godsend. I don't know how she kept it together when I'd told her Toby was A, but somehow she had, and I knew it was solely for my benefit. She'd just comforted me, held me, let me cry. She hadn't lashed out, cussing him out, she'd just let me mourn my loss.

It wasn't just me he'd betrayed, it was all of us, but after everything that had happened...

I felt the wind go out of my chest as I realized that it had probably been Toby who had killed Garrett. It had been Toby who'd tried to kill Aria, too.

I heard my phone ring as I broke down into Aria's arms. The tears pouring from my eyes harder than before.

I ignored my phone. Aria was the only person I could stand right now.

**Emily's POV**

Spencer didn't answer. She _always_ answered. Now I was sure that something was wrong.

**Aria's POV**

I heard my phone ring, but I made no move to answer it. I saw that it was Emily calling though. She needed to be informed, after all, next to Spencer, she had been the closest with him.

Spencer pulled back, composing herself carefully.

"Answer it," she said, wiping away the tears from her eyes.

I locked eyes with her, making sure that she was okay, before picking up the phone.

"Hey, Em" I said into the phone.

"_Aria?_" Emily said through the phone. She sounded panicked. "_Have you heard from Spencer? I'm really worried about her. She never responded to my text, and she didn't answer her phone and when A never showed up last night I..._"

"Em, breathe," I told her. "Spencer's with me."

I looked to Spencer, needing to know if it was okay with her if I told Emily. Not that I was planning on keeping this from Emily, she needed to know, and Spencer knew that, but I would have waited until Spencer wasn't around if she couldn't handle it.

Spencer, already knowing what I needed, nodded her head.

"_Oh thank God, is she okay, when A never showed up and I didn't hear anything from her I got so worried and..._"

"Oh A showed up all right," I said bitterly.

I heard Emily gasp, "_What do you mean? Is Spencer okay?_"

"You're not gonna like this, Em, but you need to know," I said.

I looked at Spencer once more, who nodded, telling me to continue. She was biting her lip though. She was struggling to keep it together while I told Emily.

"_What?_" Emily asked.

"Toby is A."

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